The California property tax system puts an unfair burden on homeowners and new businesses.
"..Walt Disney Co. pays as little as 2 and 3 cents per square foot for some of theparcels that make up the original Disneyland, with the average being about a nickel. Under Proposition 13 rules, Disney's taxes on that land are based on the assessed value from the late 1970s, when Proposition 13 kicked in... In its report, the Senate Office of Research focused on "loopholes" that allow business ownership to change without triggering a reassessment. A change of ownership on a home is easy to determine, but it can be murkier for businesses. Does a publicly traded company change hands, for example, when a majority of its stock turns over? And if stock turnover equals ownership change, how can assessors keep track of it?"
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Firms' Prop. 13 Savings Are Coveted

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.

The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America
With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?

Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.

Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
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Smith Gee Studio
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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